Secrets Until Someday

Chapter 35

Sydney's POV

Once upon a time, I would have rolled my eyes at myself for how giddy I was being in Brooks's arms again. I would have mocked the big ass smile on my lips and made gagging noises at the multiple kisses I was planting all over my boyfriend's face but I didn't care. Not in the slightest. I could tell by the fact that Brooks didn't put me down as we walked through the frat house door and kept me tight against him, legs wrapped around his waist and hands very comfortably around my hips that he was serious when he said he wanted to show me off.

 There was a small crowd in the house, a group of guys and a few girls throwing back shots and passing around a beer bong in the kitchen, and another group crammed onto the couch in front of a big screen TV yelling into the headsets they all wore. 

"So, this is it," Brooks said as he turned us in a circle. Sam and Quinn looked around taking in their surroundings. 

"Hey, Dawson! You gonna introduce us to your visitors," a tall blonde yelled from the kitchen as he locked eyes with Quinn. She quickly averted hers away and bit her bottom lip. The tension in the air almost choked all of us as Sam wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and puffed out his chest. I would have said something snarky but I was distracted enough by Brooks that putting Sam in his place for his cavemanish behavior wasn't a priority. He's also my ride home, so pissing him off wouldn't do me any good at this point. Our relationship is very love, hate, brotherly, and sisterly. I know when to push his buttons and when it's best to shut up...most of the time at least. 

The tall blonde was not put off by Sam's scowl and walked over to us reaching out his hand. 

"Hey Fisher, this is Sam, Quinn, and my girlfriend Sydney," Brooks tells him. 

Feeling silly still being wrapped around his waist, I whisper into his ear, "I think it would be better for introductions if my feet were actually on the floor." 

"Not a chance." He smiles his charming smile at me and my whole body melts. 

With the dopiest grin on my face I turn and stick my hand out, " Nice to meet you, these small-town boys apparently share bloodlines with cavemen." Okay, I only poked the bear a little bit.

"I'm Tate Fisher. President of the fraternity." he turns to Sam first, extending his hand, and surprisingly Sam returns the gesture. "Hey man." Barely making eye contact with the guy Quinn gives him a slight wave. "Hi," she says and quickly looks away. 

"So. You guys in town for the night or the whole weekend?" Tate asks. 

"Actually, " I say as I wriggle myself free of Brookss' grasp and plant my feet on the floor, he turns me around and presses my back against his front, and holds me there tightly. Caught off guard by the hardness pushing into my backside my cheeks flush and I take in a sudden breath, "Um... actually..." Forming words got a lot harder when I realized just how happy  Brooks really was to see me, I stepped forward slightly, and finally, the words came out, " we're in town for the entire weekend." I feel the heat crawling up my neck onto my cheeks and the rumble of laughter trying not to come out of Brooks's mouth. Keeping my eyes on Tate I very slightly jab my elbow into Brooks's abdomen, as if he could feel it, his body gets more muscular every time I see him. 

The three of them looked at me slightly confused, "Nice." Tate said. "Anybody wanna drink?" 

"Count me in," Sam says as he follows Tate into the kitchen dragging Quinn behind him, their hands intertwined. 

I turn around to look at Brooks and shake my head as a smile crawls across my lips, my tongue sliding out to wet my lips. "You seem uh...really happy to see me." There's something in his eye that I haven't seen before and it causes tingles to erupt all over my body and my throat to dry. He leans down his lips only centimeters from mine, "You have no idea." he presses his lips hard against mine and when he pulls away, grabs my waist and pushes me toward the kitchen, "Now let's have some fun." 

"I think I'm gonna like seeing this version of Brooks Dawson." 

***

As the night progressed Sam finally started to relax, the 5 beers he had definitely helped and it also gave Quinn the opportunity to separate herself from him to come to play beer pong with me. Despite the distance, he makes sure he can see her, as he talks to some of the athletes that are members of the house. Every time his eyes meet hers I see less love and more control in their exchange, something has changed between the two of them and it's becoming more and more obvious. 

"What's going on with you two?" I whisper to her as she takes a drink from her beer. 

She gives me that look, the one that makes me know that I'm not going to like the answer. 

"Is he still being a dick about college?" irritation fills my veins. 

She takes a deep breath, "Can we talk about this later Syd? I don't have time to referee you two. I want to enjoy this trip and have some fun." 

"Fine. But we will talk about this." I say to her as seriously as I can before Brooks yells at me from across the table. 

"Any day now sweetheart, no point in postponing your defeat." His hands were shoved in his pockets and a cocky-ass grin was on his face. Game on. 

"Defeat huh? We'll see about that frat boy." 

I threw the ball with my eyes still on his and sank it right into the middle cup. His grin only intensified as he reached down and drank the liquid from the cup. One after another Quinn and I sank the plastic ping pong balls into the red cups on the other end only missing one or two. 

Brooks trying his damndest not to look shaken by our impressive skills but by the end of the game, his reserve was fading. The competition gene that was born into him came seeping out as he threw and missed his final shot. He threw his head back in defeat and downed the rest of the beer from his cup. Quinn and I laughed out loud as his shoulder sank. His partner was deemed useless by the way he was barely holding his hand up trying to throw his shot, the alcohol clearly taking its effect. Our hands slapped together as we celebrated our win. "Man, I'm really thirsty. I thought I would have had more to drink during that game." I sarcastically shout at my boyfriend. 

His eyes determined, he makes his way around the table towards me and I take off running behind Quinn but his long legs move too fast and I squeal as he lifts me from behind his hands tickling my waist and laughter erupting out of me. 

"You Sydney Graves, are the devil in disguise." 

"You have no idea." I laugh and I feel the heat between us grow in intensity and suddenly I feel like we're no longer talking about beer pong.